One for the Road (or the Shoulder)

Back again - still working on two refashions with a sewing student.  Okay, my son's girlfriend, but still.  She's got some SERIOUS design skills, and I'll post the maternity skirt to flirty sundress refashion as soon as she is done hand stitching the ribbon detailing to the shoulder straps.  You'll be impressed, let me tell you.  It sure isn't something I would have attempted when I first began sewing.  They have been taking her awhile, as she can only come over to sew them on the weekends when we are both free.  Not an easy feat.

In the meantime, I'll give you my latest jeans refashion, even though it isn't into another garment.  I know, I know.  But at least it was something I got done, in between client orders, percussion ensemble fittings & alterations, embroidery orders, and other work that keeps getting in the way of more refashioning posts.

I hope you'll forgive me, just this once:

This is the front panel, with an external zippered pocket.
The fabric was a freebie from Dorell Fabrics in Fountain Valley, CA -
they sell discount upholstery material but sometimes they have
bits and pieces that are just too small to do much with -
you can take one free sample every time you go into the shop. 

The inside of the front pocket.  It's lined with another
recycled garment, a blouse that a friend didn't wear anymore.

The inside of the purse, with a couple more open pockets.
Nothing moves in here when it's zipped shut, and it's not so
deep that I can't see things when I'm looking for them.
Bonus!

My favorite part of the pattern - a side zip pocket.
You can put one on either side of the purse but I opted to
put only one in this time - I only had one zipper of this
length and color.  Next time I will line this particular
pocket (and the matching one on the other side, should
I put one in) with a fabric that matches the outer
fabric - the way the zipper is put in, you can just see the lining
around the perimeter of the zipper.  Bummer.  But this one's
not for sale, anyway, so lesson learned.  

Nicely reinforced shoulder strap (while not being too stiff); bag is stablized with fusible fleece so it is still a bit slouchy but doesn't slump; lots of pocketses for everything to have its own place (with a nod to Lord of the Rings); overall a fairly easy pattern to work with.  This may become my favorite bag pattern.  And I have three boxes of jeans (donated by a friend) to go through....each pair renders one complete handbag using this pattern (Vogue V8661).  I've already had two requests to make more, with fabric for the front panel that has special meaning for the recipients.  A nice way to refashion jeans and to keep a treasured swatch of fabric close at hand!